Reigning champion Big Zeb can emerge on top in the battle what I think will develop into a battle of the old guard in the sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase.

The likes of Sizing Europe, Somersby and Woolcombe Folly are trying to win the prize for a first time but I still think it is between the big two – 2009 winner Master Minded and Big Zeb.

Any issues people had with Big Zeb’s jumping seem to have been ironed out and he has not put a foot wrong since he made that bad mistake at the last fence at Punchestown in April 2009 when he would otherwise have beaten Master Minded.

Colm Murphy’s chaser, who is ridden by Barry Geraghty, had twice beaten Golden Silver this season before that horse outstayed him in the Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown in January. Winning jockey Paul Townend got a flyer at the last fence that day and went on to win by half a length in a race run at a strong pace.

To me there is more improvement in Big Zeb than there would be in Golden Silver on the better Cheltenham ground. Big Zeb was well in well in front of Golden Silver in the Champion Chase last year, although they have changed tactics with Golden Silver, riding him with more restraint and it seems to be making a big difference.

It’s probably because our staying chasers are not being rated as highly as the two-milers, that 2010 Arkle Chase winner Sizing Europe has been tried over longer trips by his trainer Henry De Bromhead. Back at two miles, he cannot be discounted especially as he jumps superbly while Captain Cee Bee has been kept fresh for the race.

Time For Rupert is a legitimate hot favourite for the RSA Chase but the vibes are very good for Willie Mullins-trained Mikael D’Haguenet who sounds like he is coming back into form. I thought he was going to beat Jessies Dream when he stumbled and fell at the last fence in the Drinmore Novices’ Chase at Fairyhouse in November.

If that hadn’t have happened he would probably not have been pulled out to run again a couple of weeks later in the Grade One Bord Na Mona with Nature Novices’ Chase at Leopardstown when he ran a bit flat. He was running well when he got hampered by a faller in the Dr PJ Moriarty Novices’ Chase last month. When that happens on heavy ground it’s like a footballer getting a kick in the balls.

After his brilliant novice hurdle
career, it looked as if he could be the horse to challenge Kauto Star in
the top chases but it went wrong with injury and he had to have a
season off. A back to form Mikael D’Haguenet would give Time For Rupert a race and at 10 or 12-1, you have to consider him.

Hot favourite: Time For Rupert on the way to victory at Cheltenham in December

In the National Hunt Chase, Gordon Elliott’s Chicago Grey has a great chance. He was second to Time For Rupert at the track in December after nearly being on the ground at the fourth last. He has a top amateur rider on board as well in Derek O’Connor.

Don’t rule out Charles Byrnes’ Kerry National winner Alpha Beat, even though he has not run since September. He’a fair horse too.

We run some of our best young hurdlers in the Neptune Investment Novices’ Hurdle and top of them is Jessica Harrington-trained Oscar’s Well. Some people had questioned the merit of his grade one win from Sweet Shock at Navan on frosty ground hut he put that question out of the door when he handed out a comfortable five and a half length defeat of Zaidpour in the Grade One Deloitte Hurdle at Leopardstown last month.

So Young, trained by Willie Mullins, is completely unexposed. He sluiced in at Leopardstown as if he was only doing a piece of work, winning by 16 lengths. it was unbelievable. Then he beat Big Game Hunter, a rival who has not won since landing a maiden hurdle at Clonmel in September, at Punchestown. You can’t go on his form but it the way he has done it.

At a preview evening I was at Patrick
Mullins, Willie’s son, likened him to Mikael D’Haguenet. If the stable
is doing that, he has to be a big player.

First Lieutenant’s grade one win in the Future Champions Novices’ Hurdle at Leopardstown in December has worked out well. He’s a big chaser in the making and his sire, Presenting, means he’s likely to improve on the better ground.

In the Coral Cup, the Mullins-trained Call The Police looks our best runner. Since joining the stable, he was second in the MCR Hurdle at Leopardstown and then sluiced in at Punchestown. I believe they were very happy with the handicap mark they got, Carlito Brigante was one of the favourites for the Triumph Hurdle last year and finished third. He is another who’ll improve for better ground.

In the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, our best looks to be Gordon Elliott’s Plan A but it I would say our juvenile hurdlers are not strong this season.

Star Neuville, the mount of AP McCoy would have a definite chance in the Festival Bumper but I think the British horses have a better hold on the race again.

There is no big talking horse in Ireland. Raise The Beat is a big tall horse who has done nothing wrong and won at Down Royal on good ground and heavy ay Naas. That’s a real test so he should come up the Cheltenham hill and I believe he’s been backed. Watch out for ex-Irish Cheltenian though. The Kempton winner now with Philip Hobbs used to be trained by Wexford trainer Liz Doyle.